No survivors have been found from Flight QZ8501, which had 162 people on board, including one Briton. Crucial black boxes revealing what happened in the plane's final few minutes are yet to be found.

Video:2 Jan: Victims' Bodies Recovered

On Friday, 21 bodies were recovered from the Java Sea - including two passengers who were still strapped in their seats – taking the number of confirmed victims to 30.

Efforts to recover passengers have been hampered by strong winds and high waves, scattering debris further afield. An emergency slide and exit door were initially discovered, along with cameras and children's food.

"Many of the passengers are believed to be still trapped inside the plane's fuselage and could be discovered soon," one search official said. "God willing, we will complete this operation next week."

The pilot, who had 6,100 flying hours on the A320, had asked to ascend to 38,000ft (11,600m) before contact was lost with air traffic control.

Video:Bodies Returned After Plane Crash

Radar data appears to show that the plane made an "unbelievably" steep climb before it crashed, possibly beyond the capabilities of the aircraft.

On Friday, AirAsia's chief executive Tony Fernandes attended the funeral of one of the flight attendants who lost their lives on Flight QZ8501.

Hundreds of people attended the burial of Khairunisa Haidar Fauzi, which took place in her hometown of Palembang in south Sumatra.